First Look: Jekyll & Hyde Opens at Rose Center Theater

Opening weekend brought standing ovations, full houses, and unforgettable performances.

Something happened at the Rose Center Theater this past weekend. The kind of thing that reminds you why live theater exists.

Jekyll & Hyde, Frank Wildhorn's landmark Broadway musical, opened Friday, June 12, in Westminster, CA. By the time the curtain closed, the audience was on its feet. They were still talking in the lobby. Some of them wrote to us. This is what opening weekend looked like.

The Performance

From the moment Matthew Bartosch stepped onto the stage as Dr. Henry Jekyll, it was clear this production was going to ask something serious of its audience, and deliver something serious in return. The dual portrayal of Jekyll and Hyde is widely regarded as one of the most demanding leading roles in musical theater, requiring an actor to inhabit two completely opposite human beings across the course of a single evening. Bartosch does not just meet that demand; he exceeded it.

The rest of the company matched the moment. Melissa Cook as Lucy Harris brought a rawness and vulnerability to "Someone Like You" that stopped the room. Kristin Caputo's Emma Carew was a study in controlled heartbreak, grace holding itself together under impossible pressure. The ensemble brought Victorian London to life with a physicality and commitment that filled every corner of the stage.

Director and Musical Director Tim Nelson has shaped a production that honors the darkness of the source material without losing the humanity underneath it. The costumes, the lighting, the way the score, which is a richly orchestrated collection of soaring ballads and melodic intensity, lands in a live room with a live cast. All of it worked so cohesively, creating a spectacle that must be experienced in person to truly appreciate it.

What the Audience Said

We heard from patrons all weekend who raved about the show. One patron, Laura, drove in from Las Vegas. She came, she told us, with low expectations. You see, she had seen Jekyll & Hyde on Broadway. She holds season tickets to many theaters and has been on four Playbill cruises. All that to to say,

"LAST NIGHT was AMAZING. Matthew Bartosch was AMAZING. The entire cast, AMAZING. I've seen no better production of any show. Your actors, set, everything was AMAZING. My heart is full."

Roseann came to the opening night performance and said simply:

"I attended the performance last night and thought it was wonderful. Very talented folks along with amazing costumes."

These are not theater critics, but audience members, exactly the people this production was made for. And they left with full hearts.

What's Still Ahead

Jekyll & Hyde runs through Sunday, June 28, at the Rose Center Theater in Westminster. If opening weekend is any indication, seats to the remaining shows will go fast.

Evening performances on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM.

Matinees Sunday at 2:00 PM.

Tickets from $20–$28. Group rates available for parties of 16 or more.

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

Tickets are available now at rosecentertheater.com/jekyll-and-hyde.